


Quine

by TedizStalker



Category: Bx: Execute (OFF Fangame)
Genre: An alt. Clyde makes a cameo, Gen, Implied Minor Character Deaths, Mild Gore, Misgendering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:28:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26267248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TedizStalker/pseuds/TedizStalker
Summary: Elsens are usually an easy target to get a good meal from.So what compelled a young baby-faced Von Gacy to try and befriend one of the taller, ill-mannered, lone workers of Vesper?
Kudos: 2





	Quine

**Author's Note:**

> Misgendering due to the fact that Quine, the main Von Gacy of this fict, is a ghoul. He doesn't know better.
> 
> Not a lot of info is known about Carbine and Mida's history, so I took some liberty and added a little meat to it. I know not if it's accurate, but this is what I've managed to throw together.
> 
> A picture of Quine can be found on Twitter, @GreenTedizursa

There was always this one Elsen with a foul temper.  
He was quite snappy at everything and everyone around him. Sometimes taking his temper out on inanimate objects.

That much that a ghoul, a small Von Gacy, was able to gauge. Of course, a ghoul has got to eat. And the Von Gacy are known to be relatively powerful, especially with a palsy-inducing competence in the form of Fallen Angel. Yes, even if this one in particular has the face of a plushy, affable slime dragon from another dimension that only comes to be so in the rain.

While he does look friendly when he watches with intense interest, his snarl is still just as intimidating as his fully fledged peers. He didn’t act, only watch, ears on the alert despite his whispery fur being a bit of a menace. He knows his way around the vents; avoid the sugar, stalk the Elsen workers until at least one isolates himself. Then he would pounce.

But the one who isolates himself purposely was taller than the others. About by two whole block heads. Plus, when the Gacy hears this Elsen raise his voice at the other workers, it’s kind of scary. He would find his paws with long claws covering his ears. One worker would comment on how the tall one was just as scary, if not worse, than the guardian of Zone 1.

There was another one that the tall one would hang around, often in the cafeteria. The phantoms rule the place with a chilling presence, so the small ghoul would remain perched on the vent ducts. The Elsen that the tall one apparently was friends with was a bit on the round side. Fat, delectable, but deceptively fast. The ghoul wasn’t as dense as his peers made him out to be; killing the fat one for food would only direct the tall one’s wrath to him, or his peers. And he was scary enough as is.

But if one cannot snack on them, maybe he could… befriend them? Or let them befriend him?

~~

The sound of something akin to a graceful feline landing behind her got #27293 to perk up from her job of shoveling sugar.

It’s that strange small Von Gacy again, its expression neutral. It’s deceptively friendly expression wasn’t enough for her to lower her guard, holding the shovel to her chest.

“What do you want?” #27293 growls, watching as it just parks itself and starts licking at its paws. Paws with long claws. She might as well be dealing with a sphynx with a baby face, and it somehow still has an unbridled haircut.

Seeing that the ghoul continues to groom without a care in the world, the inhabitant gets back to work. Not everyday that a Gacy has the gall to come check out a worker. They usually prey on them, but #27293 has seen her fair share of the dastardly things. Hell, she’s even managed to swat them away from the other workers. But if someone got on her bad side, she would leave them to their fate. She’s got her own bag of problems; she’s not in the mood to solve everyone else’s.

By the Queen, she really is like Dedan…

Looking at the pure white grains move and shift with the shovel is cathartic. She still didn’t know where they came from, but she does have her suspicions. So engrossed with the work that she didn’t hear the presence, or the chill, of a spectre coming.

But the Gacy did.

~~

The little ghoul was up with a snarl, bearing his teeth at the phantom. This one is not up for debate!

His large pupils turn to slits, leaping towards the ectoplasmic menace and latching onto it with his claws. They were already drawing blood so this was more than a flesh wound. Before it could retaliate, he climbs up, and jumps off of it with a powerful kick from his hoof-like appendages on his hind legs.

A hostile little thing with a friendly face was not the opponent the spectre wanted to deal with, so it fled in a hurry.

The ghoul sat down and started licking his bloody claws, kind of regretting not finishing it off. But now the tall one has noticed him.

~~

“You… you just took care of that spectre, didn’t you?” #27293 asks, kneeling down. Doing so got it to perk up from cleaning itself off. “I don’t know if you can understand me, but thank you. That one has been haunting me for a while.”

An ear points towards her as it tilts its head with a slight frown, but it seems to understand her nonetheless.

“I think I’ve seen you a few times. What compelled, or rather, deterred you from attacking me?”  
Great, she’s having a one-sided conversation with a baby faced Von Gacy that hasn’t shown her the same ferocity as it did against the spectre just now. She really must be going mad here.

“I feel as though I should give you a name…”

It doesn’t seem to pay attention as it continues grooming.

Just another day in Vesper.

~~

This morning’s announcement had her attention. Today is this month’s promotion role call, and she inwardly dreads getting it. While all the other workers, with the exception of Mida, all seem to look forward to it.

“#00419, #32917, #01939, #48812…” The announcement drawled on. #27293 looks over at Mida. What was his number again…?

“#13941.”

She perks up. That’s right! 13941 is Mida’s number. But… if that was announced…

She glances at her friend, who gives a sad shrug.

“Take care at your new promotion, Mida.” she mutters.

Those whose numbers were announced had to leave now and gather at the front of the cafeteria to get ready to depart for A3.

~~

The tall one looks sad today.

The small ghoul isn’t sure how to work around this. All he can do is sit nearby, hidden from view as he grooms himself. He could really do with a fur trim…

The tall Elsen glances in his direction, before resuming work.

“Hhh… I hope Mida is okay.” he mumbles. Although he sounds rather feminine. Maybe there’s a reason behind that.

The ghoul continues to groom, ears turning this way and that as he keeps an ear out for threats.

~~

A couple of workers snickered as they continued muttering behind #27293’s back.

Who is he fooling? Pretending to be a lady, letting his hair grow, trying to sustain an alto in his tone.

#27293 isn’t fooling anyone.

~~

Quine disregards them, but it seems to be grating on the tall one’s nerves as he works away.

A shatter of metal from the pipes as two larger Von Gacies burst out with a snarl, with one already tackling the snickering inhabitant that was taken by surprise.

Quine moves to see what he can do, either to drive his kin away, or to help maul the Elsens. But the tall one holds out a shovel before him.

“Leave them.” he growls, “we move quietly elsewhere. We didn’t see anything.”

~~

“Oh céus.”

Mida gasps quietly as #27293 told him the incident that happened today. “Why didn’t you go help them?”

“Hmph.” was all #27293 said as she took another bite of her steak stew. “They were talking shit behind my back.”

“Carby, you can’t withhold your empathy over just a few words. If you didn’t go and help them, at least report their deaths and the cause of it. We can’t afford to let the ghouls run rampant in the factory, even though it’s supposed to be safe.”

“They did more than touch a few sore nerves, Mida.” she growls, “They didn’t even have the balls to say it to my face. You know I hate back chatter like that-”

A momentary lapse in rewind as one word nearly escaped out the other ear on her.  
“What do you mean ‘supposed to be safe’, Mida?”

“Uh…”

The chubby Elsen began to sweat under her glare. “I r-really wasn’t supposed to say anything…”

Oh great. More factory secrets.

#27293 sighs.

“Say no more, especially if it puts your life at risk, Mida. You’re my only friend in here, and the flat rock of common sense that I need to stand on. I know I’m a bit of a rambunctious burden for you, and I’m really sorry if it adds to the stress. Give it enough time on my own, I would be stupid enough to challenge a sugar-starved worker once I go insane.”

Mida quietly eats as he listens to his friend. Carbine means a lot to him, too, but he’s not sure how to say it out loud right now. In this place, it’s safer to have a friend, than to try and get by alone. And after being introduced to his new line of work, this rings true now more than ever.  
He would hate for her to burn out over such immature anger.

~~

Another month escapes them, another string of numbers being promoted rings out in the air during breakfast.

“…#27293.”

That’s her number! She perks up, trying to swallow what nervous feeling that wormed its way into her chest.

Over the course of this month, she has felt her appetite go into decline, soon getting into the habit of bagging the rest and giving it to the small Von Gacy that continues to stand guard as she works in her soon-to-be old location. The new location that she is being promoted to has rumors of being rife with danger.

Those that get promoted to Area 4 often don’t return on their first day.

#27293 worries with a nibble to an inner cheek. If she wasn’t hungry before, her appetite is butchered now. And the hunger pangs will bother her until lunch. Or dinner, if she’s lucky.

Didn’t she give the ghoul a name?

Oh! That’s it. His name is Quine. She doesn’t know why, but both she and the ghoul agree that it’s a good name. He can be a bit buck wild with the spectres and other mischievous entities that threaten or harass, if not kill, the other inhabitants.

She looks at Mida.

“You were moved to A3, weren’t you?”

He nods, not saying anything.

“I think I’m being moved to A4. Unless I’m told to keep it quiet, I might share a little.” She glances at her plate, “Although I might be back a little later than I like. It depends.”

~~

Quine, as usual, follows after the tall one by means of a pipeline network. The sugar stuck to his hair like candy floss. He really does need a haircut. Since this sugar is produced by the dead, he can’t help but keep grooming and licking himself. But at least it’s not to an unhealthy degree, or stress driven.

This new area that the tall one was ‘promoted’ to is still familiar grounds to the young ghoul. And some of the workers here are just as dangerous, especially when starved of their precious sugar. His Elsen friend was fitted with a lab coat and ordered to run a few tests. Oh, and to ignore the spectres and ghouls in the place.

Which means, if Quine had to guess, the tall one is no longer allowed to fight back against the ectoplasmic beings that seem to take advantage of this enforced pacifism.

…That doesn’t mean laws for the inhabitants also apply to ghoul who will gladly watch the tall one’s back for food.

~~

Even with the small Gacy watching her back, #27293 just wouldn’t relax. Still, she diligently ran some tests, noted the results, and tested some more. Anytime a spectre tries to get the jump, Quine was quick to start a fight with it instead.

It’s lunch break, but she isn’t at the station to take the tramway back to A1 and meet up with Mida. Instead, she sat at the desk, eating her ration of meat.

The ghoul makes a churring sound, getting her attention. It looks like Quine had found something.

A pretty little red ribbon.

“Aw, thank you, little guy~”

Carbine takes the offered item from Quine, feeling rather touched. Just as quickly, she ties it up in her messy hair. This will help her look more feminine, not masculine.

The small touching moment ceases when the sound of a metal door breaking from its hinges, getting her to perk up. Someone has been starved of their sugar for too long, or has been repeatedly lied to. And they have snapped as a result.

Quine perks up as well, ears flattening as he lets out a soundless snarl. He was right to guess that someone hasn’t had sugar in a long time.

But worse than that; the burnt is a Pastel.

Before either knew it, the burnt invades #27293’s work space, easily getting into the door. They almost went straight for the worker had it not been for the hooves of the young ghoul jumping off its head. With an eerie snarl, Quine glances back, almost as though he was barking at her to get up and _run._

#27293 fled in that instant, cringing when she heard bones break as she ran, smoke escaping from her ears.

~~

“I’m really sorry to hear that…”

Mida’s tone sounded disheartened after #27293 told him what had happened.

Unfortunately, in the scuffle, the little Von Gacy was killed in action while covering for her escape. Not long after she got on the tramway, enough guards had been called in to put the Pastel Burnt down. His head was still hidden, so they couldn’t properly ID him, but he was known to swear a lot.

#27293 lacked appetite, but she pushed herself to eat.

“You’re going to miss him, aren’t you?” Mida asks. He knows the feeling, he had to leave his cow behind when he moved here to Zone 3.

“Yeah…” she nods. She won’t admit it, but without Quine, she’s vulnerable to the spectres and other crazies in A4.

~~

Two weeks creeps on, and it doesn’t escape the workers that there is a food shortage going around. And with fewer workers dying, the sugar output was starting to grow a little stunted. Mida became extra vigilant, looking for anything other than the small rations of meat and sugar to put on everyone’s plates tonight.

Imagine his surprise when today’s dinner is horseradish. Not only did he get one, but so did Carbine.

At this point, Mida is too hungry to care, saying his thanks and digging in.

A wet sickening sound came from Carbine’s direction after she had an abrupt coughing fit.

The chubby inhabitant soon felt light headed, and he passed out shortly after.

~~

Carbine awoke with a gasp.

Her stomach, or lack thereof, was hurting like crazy. She felt hungry, but simultaneously she felt eerily comfortable with the sensation of hunger, too.

Where is her friend Mida?

Staggering to her feet, ignoring the stains of blood on her shirt, she tries to get a sense of where she passed out.

It’s the cafeteria hall, though it has since been abandoned for the night.

Screams of someone begging to stop catches her attention, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand.

Without a second thought, she bounds towards the distressing noises, unaware of her increased agility. She saw red when she finally found him, surrounded by workers that have all been caught red handed. Red faced. Cheeks stuffed with the smell of food.

To Carbine, it smells like Mida’s blood.

Without missing a beat, white claws scratched, slashed, gutted, and decapitated the inhabitants until she could see Mida, chunks of his body missing. With some difficulty, the two make it to the merchant, buy some tickets to get her wounded friend back in good shape. But what the merchant said next surprises them.

“So, an unfortunate turn of events have found you two?” he asks, a knowing gleam from the eyes of his frog mask, “It’s not safe to stay here. One of you will feed the entire workforce, much against your will. And if the way your friend reacts is anything to go by, it won’t be long before they try to put her out of her misery as well.”

Mida and Carbine glanced at each other. Each covered in blood, one smelling like food, the other reeking of stomach acids.

“Please, tell us how to get out of here before we’re found again.”

~~

The way there was fraught with danger, but the increased strength and agility meant that Carbine had an easier time stopping the hungry inhabitants.

Getting back to the merchant now wouldn’t be easy if Mida was overtaken by the ravenous inhabitants again, or if Carbine herself was crippled by an attack she didn’t dodge. But onward they pressed. Eventually, those who attempted to stop them soon became fearful of the tall inhabitant.

Within A4, when the white head of a horse formed from her neck up, Carbine got the impression that someone she knew was here, fighting alongside her, but also giving her the appearance of a Pastel Burnt. Claws still worked quickly to dispatch the hungry, while the head siphoned off some nutrients in its attacks.

In no time, they reached the yawning hole in the sea of plastic, close to the middle of the Zone. How nobody else noticed this before was beyond them.

She glances at Mida, just now noticing some abnormal growths forming on his body, skin turning a shade of orange, even after using a few tickets to help him heal from the mauling earlier.

Mida, in turn, glances at Carbine. Now that she was incapable of eating, it won’t be long before she thins down to the bone.

“What do you want to see on the other side of this void?” she asks.

A good question! Mida frowns as he thinks.

“I don’t know. But I do want to start a farm when we get there. Wherever there is.”

The door behind them bursts open, the hungry and ravenous inhabitants rushing towards them.

With no time left to ponder, the two newly harbringers take the plunge into the yearning void in the plastic.

~~

There’s a warm caress on her face. It’s bright out here. The gentle breeze rustles the grass.

The madness that ensured back on their home file now feels like a distant, horrible nightmare.

Carbine gets to her feet, already feeling a little peckish, but there isn’t anything she can do about that right now. The sun’s rays feel nice, compared to the slightly cooler nights.

After arriving in the file graveyard, they had continued to look around until they came to the open savanna. It was flanked by the boreal forest and some kind of industrial filtration system, but the open space was wide and warm enough to stake a claim, and get to building their farm. Carbine also learned, in this instance, that Mida enjoyed the honest hard work. He probably didn’t find it enjoyable back on their old file. With the bright sun, and a supply of water nearby, growing crops was a breeze.

Why was that, though?

The merchant did say something about how Mida became Abundance, while she herself became Famine. But he didn’t reveal much else other than that.

On the occasion, someone hungry enough to give Mida the chase would stumble upon their farm. The second she hears him call for her name while booking it, she’s there to bowl over the hungry passerby. Be inhabitant, spectre, ghoul or even fauna. After what happened in their home file, she refuses to wait until someone lays a hand on the chubby farmer.

And once the offender is given time to come to their senses, Mida is more than happy to share the grown crops, the fruits of his hard labor.

Much like the hole they jumped in to escape their home file, there is an equally large hole on the farm. Once a week, Mida would drop some of the excess ripe food into the hole, which leads into the Nothingness, in hopes that it will turn up in a place where food is needed most. It’s not like he or Carbine could eat it anyway.

Speaking of the capacity to eat, or lack thereof…

Without a stomach, the bringer of famine finds herself snoozing most of the day while the horse head, her add-on that she has dubbed ‘Drought’, grazes on the grass. While he eats, she siphones the energy from him. It more than makes up for her incapacity to eat anything. Usually, around night time, she’s not as hungry anymore, and happily enters the farm house to talk with Mida, ask how today has been, and generally catch up on things.  
For the first time since leaving her file, Carbine has never been happier. Mida was right on one thing; they’re on top of the world, when it’s just the two of them, and they have everything they ever wanted. Even if they cannot eat what they have grown.

The best part is that no soul out here is any wiser to who she formerly was, unlike her coworkers at home.

~~

It’s another warm, sunny day.

As Carbine dozed, Drought grazed. The smell of rotten blood and mint does get the horse head to perk up in curiosity.

A spirit, carrying two inhabitants, one of which was mauling at one of it’s arm.

It was best to get out of their attention span and graze elsewhere, but if Mida is in trouble, Drought might have to wake his master up.

And not ten minutes later, he does, the second he hears Mida call for Carbine’s name.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you were wondering; the ending does lead up to Embers Rising Chapter 4.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
